The first teaser trailer for next year's monster movie Godzilla (in theaters May 16), a reboot by British director Gareth Edwards, introduces his creature in shadows and smoke, but Godzilla's presence is mainly felt through the massive wreckage seen while on its destructive path.

The footage opens with a military leader (David Strathairn) giving orders to his troops as they've about to HALO jump into what looks like a war zone. "Frankly none of us have ever faced a situation quite like this before," he says.

Set to an eerie choral soundtrack, much of the carnage and what's left of a bombed-out metropolis is viewed through the goggles of a soldier (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who gets the first glimpse of the scaly monster and how truly huge it is.

It just gets worse for mankind from there, with moms hugging their kids, subway trains getting ripped apart, holes left in buildings, crumbling blocks falling from the sky, large holes in the earth and what looks like a nuclear option becoming very much a possibility. (This is also where movie fans can get a good look at the rest of the cast, including Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche and Ken Watanabe).

The trailer ends with the most memorable scene of all, with the camera panning up and showing an intimidating shadow within the smoke, ending with massive jaws and that trademark howl that's been an aural delight for nearly 60 years of monster-movie history.

It's great for old-school Godzilla fans. Not so much for the on-screen folks who have to deal with the romping, stomping, roaring horror show.